On October 5, 2015, negotiations for the TPPA concluded and a summary of the 30 chapters of the agreement was released. Chapter 18 of the agreement specifically discusses the rights and responsibilities of each TPP member nation in protecting IP. The 12 TPPA member nations are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.
October – What A Month for Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare, did not have a very good October and it will only get worse for the President’s vaunted healthcare “reform” plan. Temporary walls that were built to protect Obamacare from market forces and normal consumer responses are starting to collapse. Hit One: On October 1, the Centers for […]
Judge Tells Federal Agency to Obey the Law for Drug Discount Program
Taxpayers and consumers pay for misuse of the 340B program through higher insurance premiums, increased drug prices and taxes.
Reconcilable Differences
While “irreconcilable differences” is a term often used in divorce proceedings, it might also describe the vast policy chasm on legislative proceedings between an extremely liberal President and an increasingly conservative Congress. In that light, where all but the least controversial policies (think naming of post offices) face a veto threat, it is no wonder that the Republican majorities in both chambers have resigned themselves to getting few of their legislative priorities to the President’s desk, with little hope that he will agree to sing the bills into law.
Government “Shutdowns”: History and Consequences
During the weeks before fiscal year (FY) 2015 ended on September 30, 2015, many in Washington and across the nation braced for the potential of a “government shutdown.” But, on that last day of FY 2015, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that avoided a shutdown and funded the government through December 11. On October 2, President Obama vowed to veto any further short-term funding bills. With the specter of the second government shutdown in three years looming for the holidays, it is helpful to understand how a shutdown works and what the consequences might be.
Improper Payments Burning Medicare While CMS and Congress Fiddle
The great umbrage against government waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement expressed by politicians during election cycles give taxpayers hope that something will be done when they get to the nation’s capital. And there is no shortage of targets once they arrive on Capitol Hill.
Cyber-Security Should Not Take A Back Seat
The federal government spends approximately $80 billion annually on information technology (IT) systems. An April 2, 2014 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the number of data breaches increased by 143 percent from 10,481 reported incidents in 2009 to 25,566 incidents in 2013. The federal government must take immediate action to protect vulnerable systems and remediate risk.
More Obamacare CO-OP Dominos Fall
In April, 2015 Citizens Against Government Waste examined Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs), created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. They were established as an alternative or compromise to placate several Democratic Senators who wanted to adopt a government-run, or single payer, option for healthcare reform. The theory was that the nonprofit and member-owned CO-OPs would provide real competition to big healthcare insurance companies. But like most provisions of Obamacare, they have not worked as intended.
Keeping Rates Technology Neutral
Americans across the nation are increasingly accessing broadband services using a variety of tools and connecting not only through wireline services, but also with their wireless devices. As demand grows for increased connectivity, so does the need to expand the infrastructure these devices rely upon. To meet this demand, wireless carriers often find it necessary […]
Organic Food: A Healthy Alternative or a Waste of Money?
Organic food is better for you, right? Think again. I listened to the John Batchelor radio show Monday night and was fortunate to hear a former colleague of mine, Henry Miller, MS MD, discuss organic foods. Dr. Miller is currently a Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution where he […]